All your replies rely on SpaceX being able to do airliners MUCH cheaper.

Which I took in to account, by saying they could perhaps do it in half the cost, or even less. Unfortunately, that's still a colossal amount of $. And I doubt they could do that - after all, they still need to conform to the same regulations, which is where a lot of the cost arises.

All your replies rely on SpaceX being able to do airliners MUCH cheaper.

Which I took in to account, by saying they could perhaps do it in half the cost, or even less. Unfortunately, that's still a colossal amount of $. And I doubt they could do that - after all, they still need to conform to the same regulations, which is where a lot of the cost arises.

If they could, they would.

I think what's missing in the discussion is the will. SpaceX success is because Elon Musk had a dream, and that dream was shared by many other people. It's not because he thought he could lower the cost of spaceflight - that is just the how. It's the why which is important. The why, for Elon Musk, and many others, is a dream of humanity populating outer space. That's why he did it - and for only that reason. People will work for a reason, but they will dedicate their life, for a dream.

_________________“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Anonymous